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MynameisnotDeja

MynameisnotDeja

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Hey everyone! I realize this could go in film and tv or Words, so if it doesn't get many responses I will move it over there, but I figured since I'm posting it in the attempts to help my writing, I'll give it a try here first.

I had a rather interesting discussion with my family tonight, I was talking about my book and how I don't want it to come across as simply a "chick story" or a "romance" book. I'd like it to be something a man or a woman could enjoy.

So that got us to talking about books, and movies, and what defines a story as a "chick flick" (or book). I wanted to discuss this here because I think it will help me in my writing. I don't really want to write "chick flick" sorta stories. Yet, I DO want to write about romance. And love. And life and all that fun stuff. (but not JUST that)

So, what do you guys think makes a story cross the line from a women sorta story into a story that is appreciated by all? Is it humor? Is it having a dark side, such as being violent or sad? Does it have to do with whether or not the main character(s) are male or female? Or does it just have something to do with how well done/written it is?

I was thinking about the movie Garden State. This film is a cute little story about a dude overcoming some baggage and also falling in love. It's a romantic sorta story, the kinda thing I would think would be a chick flick but this film is loved by almost every man I have ever met. Is it because the main character is a guy?

I'm just rambling now, as its late but I'm curious, especially for the guys out there, of your thoughts on all of this. It's come up lately because I've begun looking around a bit at agencies and talking to people and a lot of people have asked whether or not I plan to market the book "for women".

So, in your eyes, what makes something a "chick flick" or a "womens novel"? :)
 
I think what makes a story accessible to both genders are the "hiccups" in the story, if you know what I mean. Like, it doesn't fall into a nice straight line, and there are things that just suck that can't be resolved that aren't story threatening.
 
a romantic story that both men and women will enjoy explores the real world enigma of human relationships, instead of presenting a (female) fantasy like chick-flicks do.
 
Hmm.. see that's where I get lost. I am not sure what "female fantasy" is. To me a romantic story is a fantasy, but my fantasy might not = the fantasies of other women. I keep going back to the knight in shining armor happily ever after sorta deal, right? I don't particularly like those sorts of stories either and I'm a girl. :D
 
I just don't want my story to come across cheesy and chicky..

It is a romance but not in a stupid unrealistic sort of way. It's more about 4 friends I would say.
It's about a lot of things I guess, not just the romance part. But love and dating and sex is just such a big part of life, I feel it would be difficult to write a story that didn't have SOME romance in it.

i have more to say about that, but in a minute.
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Hehe okay, I shall be waiting. :)
 
MynameisnotDeja said:
It's about a lot of things I guess, not just the romance part. But love and dating and sex is just such a big part of life.
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i think that is the idea. I think a romance story that will apply to both sexes, or really just a good romance story in general, deals with conflicts that have to do with life and human interactions as a whole. things like a momentary and trivial lack of priority in a character seem to make up the conflict in a chick-flick, where as a good romance story will bring up larger and more universal issues. the pros and cons of lost in translation make for good examples: when bill murray sleeps with that red head singer, and he and scarlette (sp?) have that stupid little quiet passive-aggressive interaction over dinner, i was not entertained. it was just holding the story up over nothing. the story's real conflict involves scarlette and bill realizing that despite the up and downs of life, you can't just jump ship; bill and scarlette are both important parts of other humans' lives, and despite the temptation to just abandoned their current troubles, that's not how you end up satisfied in life. i was entertained.

edit: i think what ody just said holds some water. but i also think, if you are willing to take risks, that little rule of thumb can be transcended. for example, i think vicky christina barcelona focuses on sexuality while managing not to alienate either sex.
 
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I wouldn't say my book focuses on sexuality. It has some sex in it, and people like each other, but it's definitely not just ABOUT sex and love. It's more just about life.. I dunno. Haha I think in far too vague terminology.
 
MynameisnotDeja said:
I was thinking about the movie Garden State. This film is a cute little story about a dude overcoming some baggage and also falling in love. It's a romantic sorta story, the kinda thing I would think would be a chick flick but this film is loved by almost every man I have ever met.
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yea, but it's not just a story about their relationship; it's also a story about "exploring the infinite abyss" of life. and who wouldn't that appeal to?
 
BE HONEST

if you're completely honest in what you're writing and not trying too hard then it people will relate to it universally.

Good example:

The movie "made of honor" has a scene in it where mcdreamy stops a basketball game to tell his friends that he has feelings for the female lead... this was about the funniest thing I had ever seen in my life. In real life the guys that knew him would never have let him live it down and the guys who didn't know him would have just thought he was some sort of weird nancy boy.

If that particular plot point had been written in an honest way, in a way in which a person realizes they have feelings for some one and confides in their friends then I would have bought into it as it stood I just laughed my ass off at it.
 
if you're completely honest in what you're writing and not trying too hard then it people will relate to it universally.
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Yes! Thanks, as I was laying down trying to sleep yesterday I was thinking about this. I want to come across raw and honest in my writing.

"made of honor"
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^Ugh. I'm a girl, I enjoy chick flicks, and even that shit was too much for me. Just seeing the preview and the ridiculously stupid play on words in the title was too much more me. Me and my best friend always lol-ed so much at that gay ass movie.
I DON'T want my main character to come across like a nancy boy like that!!!!

That IS a problem with writing with a male MC though.. I can relate to guys pretty well but I am still a girl. Most of my friends are men, and they talk to ME about their feelings, but that might be different than how they talk to their other male friends about it. And since I can never be around men "without a woman there" all I know of it is what they tell me or what I see in movies and things.
 
sisterhood of the travelling pants, anyone? Some people claim woody allen movies to be chick flicks, will you stop there? I'm sure, Miss NotDeja, that you know there is no such thing as these labels you speak of. Come on, write what you will!? Well, lets see maybe i can dig out something for you... maybe, just maintain current tempo and as the intensity or action, rises raise that tempo like its gonna blow, that tensions just gonna kill you if you dont turn that next page. But this is for all, everyone LOVES tension and release, it is the all encompassing. Im not going to sit here and let a whole sex's emotional framework just be beaten down by this pop culture bullshit.
 
Oh, I totally am writing as I will. And wherever it ends up, that's okay. I just find it interesting what makes people perceive a story as a chick story.

Funny thing- My ex boyfriend bought the sisterhood of the traveling pants and watched it all the time, so I guess guys like it too! lol (I also have it, haha)
 
MynameisnotDeja said:
That IS a problem with writing with a male MC though.. I can relate to guys pretty well but I am still a girl. Most of my friends are men, and they talk to ME about their feelings, but that might be different than how they talk to their other male friends about it. And since I can never be around men "without a woman there" all I know of it is what they tell me or what I see in movies and things.
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Don't think about it just do it.

An artist generally has to draw something many many times before they are happy with their ability to draw said object.

Writing is the same thing you have to try something a bunch of times before it comes out right. Try, fail try again.

But don't try to hard

I have a story on here called Chemical Insomnia in it I write a female character whose thoughts, feelings and motivations are stated quite simply. They are there to tell the story and nothing more.

But I hoped that she becomes real to the reader this way. Instead of trying to grab the imagination of the reader and force it through a set path of complex underlying emotions I lay out the basic framework and let the reader grow their perception inside it.

Nothing can be too perfect. Sallinger wrote Holden Caulfield as a series of opinions and observations, some of them were dead nuts but some were manifestations of grief, fear, insecurity.

People don't slot together like a jigsaw puzzle so why should characters?
 
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